When fun-loving glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont learns the Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, determined to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. No-nonsense and hoping to make admiral, Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills to fight German U-boats. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. For her part, Tess works hard … hard to prove her worth in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit in Boston–both to her commanding officers and to the man with whom she is smitten. When Dan is assigned to a new escort carrier at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he’s torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help Tess root out a possible spy on shore. The Germans put up quite a fight, but he wages a deeper battle within his heart. Could Tess be the one for him?
With precision and pizazz, fan favorite Sarah Sundin carries readers through the rough waters of love in a time when every action might have unforeseen world-changing consequences.
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Can we first start with the heroine’s name? Quintessa Beaumont. Dreamy. The heroine is perfectly dubbed as her name means “Essence” of “Beauty” for Tessa’s biggest pet peeve is being called “beautiful.” I was swept away by Sundin’s detailed account of life during the war from the POVs of Lt. Dan Avery and Tessa, a more-than-a-pretty-face girl who joins the WWII WAVES program. As with all her WWII books, Sarah Sundin’s voice, great attention to research and plot make this author a must-read! I have to also note that the audiobook narrator is phenomenal!
Next up for Sarah is the much anticipated launch of The Land Beneath Us, the conclusion to the Sunrise at Normandy series, which I have thoroughly enjoyed! Look for her book February 2020!
I’ll admit I didn’t like Quintessa very much in the first novel. I felt like she was selfish and it wasn’t fair what she did to Mary. Of course, I thought Mary had a bit of hero worship that was unwarranted where Quintessa was concerned. She grew on me a bit in the second book, and I could tell she was beginning to change, which was comforting.
Her growth continues in this novel when she decides she wants to do something good with her life and signs up for the WAVES program, even though Dan Avery doesn’t seem convinced that glamour girl Quintessa can make it in the Navy.
And that makes her want to do it even more.
The name change was fitting, I think. When Quintessa decided she wanted to be known as Tess, it reminded me of the times in the Bible when God changed people’s names to reflect a change in their lives, a new purpose. And Tess does now have a new purpose, helping her country instead of just helping herself. And she grows a lot, especially when Dan expresses his frustration with her tendency to run from her problems.
Dan goes through his own change. When we meet him in the first novel, he’s very career-minded. And now we finally see why. Seeing him with his family really helped me get a full picture of who Dan is and why he has acted the way he has in previous books.
I liked the way Sundin fleshes out Dan’s relationship with his mentor. The admiral influences a lot of Dan’s decisions, and knowing the admiral helped me better understand Dan.
And once again, there’s an intriguing mystery woven into the novel that kept me guessing until the very end. I couldn’t finish the book fast enough. There was a great resolution to the trilogy, and I loved knowing what happened to the characters.
(This review was originally posted on my blog at https://justjenniferpurcell.com/2019/05/17/just-read-waves-of-freedom-series-by-sarah-sundin/)
Quintessa Beaumont is tired of being beautiful, with the war on she wants to be useful. So she joins the WAVES in hopes of changing people’s perception of her. But when she stumbles upon a plot to sell military secrets to the enemy, will the FBI take her seriously or see just another pretty face and empty head?
Daniel Avery puts his career first, on track for reaching his dream of becoming an admiral. He doesn’t have time for rest or fun, if he’s going to reach his goals. But when an assignment puts him under a officer who has a personal vendetta against him, he wonders if he will ever get to prove himself or if this assignment could derail his entire career.
Tess has grown a lot over the course of the last few books, she wants to be respected for her brains and sensibility. She is a good friend, and goes out of her way to make others feel welcomed. Tess is eager to serve her country no matter the challenge, and encourages her fellow WAVES. Tess is capable, intelligent and the perfect encourager.
Dan can’t believe that a woman like Quintessa Beaumont has turned his head after a woman nearly ended his military career years ago. But Tess surpasses Dan’s expectations, even cracking through his business only, no-nonsense exterior, encouraging him to take time for himself as well as work hard. Dan struggles to give control to God, in trusting him in rest as well as work. I admired his dedication to his job, integrity, and willingness to examine himself and do the right thing no matter what.
A fantastic read from beginning to end, I love how Ms. Sundin puts so much work into the details and research behind making these books come to life. I enjoyed learning more about warfare at sea, as well as seeing so many familiar faces from the previous books in the series crop up in this book. One of my very favorite things about about this book was Dan’s journey of faith to relying on God to rest and trust Him rather than to take it all on his shoulders. Filled with action, mystery and intrigue, with strong, complex characters to cheer for the whole way through. I especially liked Tess’s friend Nora. High recommend this entire series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sarah Sundin is my go-to author when it comes to World War II fiction. She writes with such clarity and research that I adore all her stories. When people have approached me with recommendations for books, which happens often, I always recommend her books. With the first two books in the series, Through Waters Deep and Anchor in the Storm, I throughly enjoyed this series. With a wonderful cast of characters and a setting that stays with me, I highly recommend her books for fans of any books.
Sundin always amazes me with how much research she does, and the final result is a great story that does not read like a researched novel. Every time I read a Sundin novel, I feel like I’m living in the 1940’s and traveling with the characters as they struggle through the changes of the world. Sundin brings Boston in the 1940’s to life for me. I feel the motion of the ocean underneath my feet and hear the sound of the music playing as the individuals dance the night away at a local club.
I have really enjoyed spending time with the Avery family in the Waves of Freedom series. First, learning about Jim Avery and his love, Mary; then moving onto Lillian Avery and Arch; and finally, having the privilege of watching Dan Avery remove his walls to allow love to come in through Tessa. Tessa is generous, cheerful person who makes others feel better about themselves. When Tessa appears on the screen, she is tired of being seen as a beautiful face who is nothing less. Joining the WAVES, Tessa uses her skills to bring meaning to her life. She changes from a girl who wants to make a change to the woman who does make a change. As for Dan Avery, it was finally nice to learn more about him as Sundin allowed him to share his story. He begins the story as a rock-steady, no nonsense type of guy who won’t allow love distract him from his goals at achieving a higher rank in the Navy. By the end of the novel, he realizes he should allow love in and opens up to a lasting relationship with Tessa. Their romance was sweet and made me smile.
The pace of the novel moved great. My only complaint about the plot is that the novel ended before I was ready for it to end. I wanted a longer novel. But that is what a great novelist should do. In When Tides Turn, Sundin threw in another mysery with the possiblitity of a spy. The tension was high and kept me flipping through the story. I was glued to the plot as well as the romance between Dan and Tessa.
I really can’t find anything awful to say about Sundin’s books. I recommend them all the time to people and can’t wait until she has another book come out. She’s writing another series about Normandy, and I’m excited already. Go buy the book. Sundin will not disappoint.
I received a complimentary copy of When Tides Turn from Revell Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.